#steam vr controllers

[spaceistheplaceart]

A Human's Touch - HL2VRAI AMV

constantly thinking about the relationship between the game, the NPCs/science team, and Gordon/The Player

ID AND CREDIT BELOW:

BEGIN ID

An animatic set to the song "A Human's Touch" by TWRP. The visuals are timed with lyrics, so I'll type the lyrics in quotes "like this", then explain the visuals, then move onto the next lyrics. I hope this format works well for all, and if it does not- feel free to reach out!

"Am I a toy to you, my love?"

Benrey stares up through Gordon's computer, standing on a black and white grid. He is in a beanie and jumpsuit, like many citizens from Half Life 2. He has a small mustache and a shadow over his eyes. He has a neutral expression. With each word of the lyrics, the camera zooms further out to reveal he is in a computer inside Gordon/The Player's room. The room has a PC tower, a chair, a desk, a microphone, a shelf with a VR headset and games on it, and a few posters. One poster is of "Kane and Lynch 2: Dog Days" and another is of two chimps grooming eachother. With the following musical beats, the room changes slightly to show passage of time. The chair moves around, things appear and disappear on the desk, and the chimp poster is torn down for another poster that says "Gamer's don't die, they respawn." On the final beat, the player is sat at the desk.

"Just a thing to play and then throw away."

A computer screen with four applications shown on it: steam, discord, garry's mod, and Half Life. A mouse cursor floats over Half Life before retreating. The screen is shut off and turns black.

"I never asked for this."

Benrey and Coomer sitting against a black background. Benrey is turned away, hunched a little. The lyrics appear on his side of the screen.

"I always did my best."

Coomer is turned to the side, looking up with his hands grasped together and eyebrows worried. The lyrics appear on his side now.

"Without your love I am..."

The Chuck E Cheese shown at the end of the series, drawn in black and white. The screen glitches.

"A broken mess."

The Chuck E Cheese is now worn down and broken. There's a banner hanging out of it that says HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO before it's ripped off. Minions are laying in one of the corner buildings. On the righthand side you can see partially graffiti that says BUBBY IS BEST. In the background is the citadel from Half Life 2.

"Now I'm never enough."

Tommy and Bubby sit against a black background. Tommy is facing the side, with a worried expression, wearing a suit, his propeller hat, a bowtie, and holding a briefcase on his lap. The lyrics appear on his side.

"And it's almost too much."

Bubby is turned away. His fist is clenched and producing fire. He wears a tattered labcoat. The lyrics appear on his side now.

"For me to work..."

Gordon, against a white background, limp with lines attached to his hands like a puppet. His face is not visible.

"I need..."

A side by side of the player lifting their VR controllers and Gordon's hands lifting limply in game in sync.

"A humans touch."

Gordon's hands drop to his sides again as his head lolls to the side, rolls back, then he opens his eyes- a VR headset flashing over them at "touch".

END ID

I took the screen turning off effect from this video

[ayeforscotland]

Ad | Some Humble Bundle Goodies

One for the audio engineers - The Audio Arcade bundle gives you a whole bunch of royalty-free music and SFX as well as plugins to insert in all the major game engines. Ambient tracks, environmental sounds, explosions, you name it.

Money raised goes towards Children's Miracle Network Hospitals.

For those who dabble in Virtual Reality, the Upload VR Showcase with Devolver Digital has a bunch of Serious Sam VR games as well as the Talos Principle, a really solid puzzle game.

Money raised goes to Special Effect which helps people with disabilities enjoy games via accessible controllers. I've seen the stuff they do and it's honestly great.

Want to get into programming but don't know where to start? The Learn to Program bundle has a tonne of resources covering everything from HTML and CSS through to Python, C# and Ruby.

Money raised goes towards Code.org which seeks to expand participation in computing science by helping women and students of colour.

The Future Tech Innovators Toolkit is a software bundle with courses on Robotics, Electronics and programming with Raspberry Pi and Arduino.

Money raised goes towards Alzheimers Research UK.

The Home How-To Guides bundle offers a complete set of books for home improvements and projects. Want to know more about plumbing, home repair, bathrooms, wiring or carpentry? This bundle has you covered.

Money raised goes to It Gets Better, a charity that supports LGBT Youth.

Want to pick up the latest Elden Ring DLC? It's also available on the Humble Store with the key being redeemable on Steam.

[edgyedgelord]

I'm back to yell at y'all to BUY MY STUFF!!!

Prices listed are my offer but I am willing to haggle. Know that I won't drop them super low and I have checked on other websites what the average price is for the items that I'm selling for their quality.

The base cost for the laptop I want is $1,182 with the specs I need, ports, and ofc the power adapter. I want to try aiming for $1,250 if possible in case prices go up, shipping, etc. and anything extra would ofc be appreciated. I will also accept donations but would prefer if you instead gave them to those in more need than me.

I'd also like to say that I wish I didn't have to do this during a time where people are suffering for their existance. If you have money to spare please send it to families in need or trusted organizations who can help them. If I reach my goal and get employed I will be donating whatever I can afford to the families in need and organizations that can help them. This doesn't just apply to Palestinians but anyone affected by any sort of genocide.

Current Goal Progress: $81.88/$1,250

This post will update regularly with new items and prices. If you find something you like send me a message with an offer and we'll discuss. I may add a bit more to the price for shipping depending on how much it is. You will have to pay first before I send it out.

If you're not happy with the item and want a refund message me and send it back. I'll return the money once I have the item back.

Oculus Rift S - $150

Full set including the headset, controllers, wire, and box. Condition is well used, poor even, but can be repaired. Still functions but is worn out so boot up is slow and can have issues at times.

Has duct tape residue cause the lil bit that holds the wire fell off. It's been cleaned off after I took these photos I just need to update them.

Recommended for tech geeks looking for VR parts or that can repair it, or those who aren't picky.

Do not buy if you're looking for a first time headset, just get a Meta Quest or Steam VR headset.

Wacom One - $100

Perfectly fine condition on the outside with the only issue being that the display doesn't work. Other than that, it functions perfectly fine.

Comes with tons of pen tips, two pens, the wire, etc. I recommend this if you're looking for a Wacom that isn't overpriced and if you're looking to not support the company but want one of their tablets.

Recommended for fellow artists needing a cheap tablet with all the fixins but doesn't need a display. I tried to get it fixed but they were charging almost the same price as when we bought it.

Xp-Pen Wireless Deco LW Black - $50

Theres actually nothing wrong with it. It's just old and I don't really use it anymore since I got my newest tablet.

It'll come with a carrying bag, pen, case for the pen and extra nibs, cleaning cloth, and even the manual.

Recommend for beginners needing a cheap starting tablet or those in need of a cheap replacement or backup, like myself when I got it.

Advice: If she starts losing calibration and recalibrating isn't working check to make sure the program/drivers are up to date. Still works like brand new even years later!

Pokemon Cards - Prices Vary

I have a massive collection and 90% of those are doubles. Need that ONE card to complete a set? Looking for something fancy for your binder? Wanting a couple of random cards to get into the TCG? Hit me up! I have so many cards I need to trade away or sell it's ridiculous.

More details on this post.

[satoshi-mochida]

Umurangi Generation Deluxe Kit physical edition announced for PS5, Switch - Gematsu

Serenity Forge will release an Umurangi Generation “Deluxe Kit” physical edition for PlayStation 5 and Switch, the distributor announced. Pre-orders are available now at Serenity Forge Store and participating retailers for $69.99, and are not expected to ship until May 30, 2025.

The physical edition will include a copy of the game (the PlayStation 5 version also includes Umurangi Generation VR for PlayStation VR2), a camera strap, an acrylic standee, a set of clear character cards, a microfiber cloth, and a paper photo bounty.

Here is an overview of the game, via Serenity Forge:

About

Umurangi Generation is an award-winning first-person photography game set in the retro future. Complete tasks by taking photos that meet specific conditions (such as photographing a particular piece of graffiti with a specific camera lens) but otherwise free to exercise your creativity. Use multiple methods, techniques, and opportunities to achieve your photography bounties, then edit or add effects with complete freedom. Unlock camera and lens attachments as you progress to achieve different effects, such as telephoto and fisheye lenses. Get out there and exercise your photography skills in Umurangi Generation.

Key Features

Play as a courier for the Tauranga Express in the city of Tauranga Aotearoa under an impending crisis. Complete Photo Bounties any way you like, then deliver the parcel to finish the level.

Discover exploration bonuses on each level. Unlock new equipment for your camera by finding film canisters, recreating postcards, fulfilling timed deliveries, and finding a way to fit all of your friends in one photo.

This special edition includes the downloadable content Macro, Gyro Controls, Touch Screen Support, and Images saving directly to the Switch Gallery.

Edit your photos and develop your unique color grade. Flexible tools let you touch up your photos to get that perfect look. Experienced photographers will fit right in. New to photography? Don’t worry, you’ll be on your journey in no time.

Each Umurangi Generation Deluxe Kit includes physical copy of the game, illustrated inner coversheet, Deluxe Kit outer box, camera strap, clear character cards, acrylic standee, microfiber cloth, and paper photo bounty.

The PlayStation 5 version contains both standard game and PlayStation VR2 game.

In-games text languages: English, German, Japanese, Simplified Chinese, Spanish, and Traditional Chinese.

Umurangi Generation is currently available digitally for PlayStation 5, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, and PC via Steam. Umurangi Generation VR is available for PlayStation VR2 and Quest.

[sailorsenshishitposter]

Raiden gets turned on by a toaster

Reader x Raiden. Warning for cursed smut.

You had been dating Raiden for three months now. You had just finished watching King Kong for the third time that evening, the two of you resting on your couch, nestled under the blankets. You kissed him on the lips. "How are you feeling honey?" The cyborg groaned. "I'm low on electrolytes and need to recharge. I have enough left that should let me be able to spend the night and then make it back to my place in one piece."

"Raiden, there's something I need to talk to you about. I think I have a way to meet both of our needs tonight." He stared at you. "What are you saying?" You placed your palm on his chassis. "I'm saying that I think we should make love." Raiden was flustered. "You know that I don't have the proper equipment down there right?" That didn't matter to you. "I'm happy just by spending time by your side. We'll figure something out."

The two of you went to your bedroom. You turned on your phone and went on to YouTube. You found some how it's made style videos of electronics being assembled. "Does that do anything for you?" you asked seductively. "I don't think so. Let me try something." Soon the two of you were watching clips of C - 3PO. Raiden's love life felt more dead than his childhood.

Lastly, you tried watching a video of a piece of toast being inserted into a toaster and cooked. When the bread sprang up, something inside Raiden snapped because he soon pinned you down and started kissing you aggressively. "Mmm, don't stop!" He chuckled. "I don't plan to." He tried playing with your breasts but his fingers were like sharp cat claws. "Sorry. I'll try something else."

He then reached your underwear. He quickly tore it off but now he was puzzled. He didn't know that you had cyborg enhancements. "What's this button do?" He pressed it. "That is my clit..." How embarrassing. He started to kiss you and swiped his tongue at your insides. "What's this?" He continued to drink like a man starved. Somehow he was getting electrolytes.

You started to become louder. "Raiden. Turn the game off!" He stopped. You reassured him that everything was alright and to continue. He must have been hearing things. "I NEED SCISSORS, 61!" He stopped again. "Okay something's going on." You gave him a worried look. "What do you mean honey?" Maybe he had lost his mind after all. He sighed. "It's nothing to worry about."

You gave him a reassuring smile. "Raiden, something happened to me last Thursday when I was driving home. I had a couple of miles to go - I looked up and saw a glowing orange object in the sky, to the east! It was moving very irregularly. Suddenly there was intense light all around me, and when I came to, I was home. What do you think happened to me?" He stood up. "Alright, what the hell is going on!"

He took off his VR headset and the room went back to normal. He was no longer playing his hentai dating sim anymore. Raiden's room wasn't empty anymore but now filled with dozens of mall katanas and cheap ramen. Suddenly he got a transmission. "Did you like my gift?" It was that asshole Monsoon. "After you insulted my taste in anime I took the liberty of infecting your PC with a virus that gives me total control over it. By the way, I stole your steam account. You really need to get better taste in games."

He then cut the transmission out. Raiden turned into Jack and began to punch the floorboards over and over until he began to sob.

[the-monkey-ruler]

Dota 2 (2013)

Date: July 9, 2013 Platform: Mac / PC / Linux Developer: Valve Corporation Publisher: Valve Corporation / Nexon Corporation / Perfect World Entertainment Genre: MOBA Theme: Fantasy Franchises: Dota Also known as: Defense of the Ancients 2 Type: Crossover

Summary:

Dota 2 is a free-to-play high fantasy action real-time strategy game developed and released digitally by Valve for the PC, Mac and Linux on July 9, 2013.

Built on the studio's Source engine, Dota 2 is the official sequel to Defense of the Ancients, a series of custom scenarios for the 2002 game Warcraft III: Reign of Chaos that originally popularized the "Multiplayer Online Battle Arena" sub-genre. Development of the game is led by the original mod's final lead designer, IceFrog.

Similar to the original mod, the main gameplay pits two five-player teams (the Radiant and the Dire) against each-other as they work to escort their three endless waves of AI-controlled monsters (or "creeps") to the fortified enemy base in order to destroy the enemy "Ancient". Each player controls an individual Hero character and, throughout the match, earn experience (to level up their stats and abilities) and gold (for purchasing items and equipment) by eliminating enemies.

Rather than using a weekly free-to-play character rotation system (similar to other MOBA games at the time, namely League of Legends), the game makes all characters playable from the start and features cosmetic microtransactions (such as alternate appearances for each Hero's armor and weapons, alternate announcers, and custom UI enhancements) using the Steam Inventory and Steam Market systems.

The game received numerous updates since its original release, adding new Heroes, game modes (including support for custom modes), and features while revising certain gameplay mechanics. New features include better support for both new players (with integrated community-made guide support, coaching, and improved training modes) and competitive players (with improved replay and spectator support), as well as VR headset support (for spectating and viewing cosmetics). It also received a reworked client update in June 2015 (named "Dota 2 Reborn" for a short time), porting the game to Valve's Source 2 engine (the first game released with it), and received a complete map revamp on April 2023.

Dota 2 originally received an invite-only beta in November 2011, during Gamescom 2011. It was formally launched July 9, 2013, but access was gated via a queue system until December 16, 2013. It was also distributed as a standalone game in some regions, with Perfect World publishing the game in China, and Nexon publishing the game in both Japan and South Korea. The game also received spin-offs, including the 2018 digital card game Artifact, the 2020 "auto-battler" game Dota Underlords, and the 2021 animated series Dota: Dragon's Blood.

Source: https://www.giantbomb.com/dota-2/3030-32887/

Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LqtkfCLjJz4&ab_channel=DotaCinema

[lilacsmothership]

some highlights of magical combat in Standard Candles:

frontline combat is saturated with drones and marked by extensive use of elaborate rituals that can be done on the fly thanks to drone assistance and high-performance cyberware. modern artificial muscles, personal flight tech and cyberware cooling rigs gushing hot air and steam allow soldiers to think and move at high speed, bounce from wall to wall with delicate choreography, hover in the air, and sustain complicated and difficult poses; drones can quickly position magical equipment, spray paint sigils and arcane graffiti and weave mandalas, project light and sound and other sensory data, etc.

much of magic gains power from thoughts, behaviors, and particular forms of social relationship. any given environment and gathering of beings, from chatrooms to civilizations, gives power to particular forms of magic. when the ambient bustle of society isn't enough, thoughts and behaviors can be engineered by various means. modern magitech makes extensive use of AI to automate banal rituals, from chatbots and avatars in cyberspace to physically mobile drones, but there are often times when unconscious algorithms won't cut it. so there is also a flourishing world of in-depth social engineering - ranging from subtle manipulations embedded in daily life to VR sims, industrial parks and entire Truman Show-esque planned communities explicitly built around simulating alternate, (often) uncanny forms of society.

such nodes of refined ritual behavior and dedication can be powerful boons to battlefield mages, so the military operates a suite of battlefield social engineering hardware from APCs full of personnel wired into VR to controlled environment carriers: mobile platforms dedicated to supporting a planned community acting out its own alternate reality in isolation from the real world. equipped with an extensive suite of EM shielding, shock absorbers and acoustic muffling, quiet cooling systems and even its own gravity manipulation pods.

[theomeganerd]

Video Game News Stories for February 26th, 2024

Legal Battles Rock the Industry:

Call of Duty Lawsuit Challenges Esports Dominance: A group of gamers sent shockwaves through the esports community by filing a lawsuit against Activision Blizzard, Inc., accusing the company of monopolizing control over Call of Duty esports leagues and tournaments. This legal action could have far-reaching consequences, potentially forcing Activision to adjust its esports strategy and pave the way for a more competitive environment.

Platform Shifts and Strategic Moves:

Microsoft Embraces Multiplatform Strategy: In a surprising turn of events, Microsoft Corporation announced plans to release four upcoming Xbox titles on external platforms, including PC and potentially even rival consoles like Sony's PlayStation. This move signifies a significant departure from the company's longstanding strategy of platform exclusivity, a cornerstone of the "console wars." The new approach could lead to wider accessibility for Xbox games, potentially attracting new demographics and impacting development strategies across platforms in the face of increased competition.

Sony Adjusts PS5 Sales Target, Prepares for IPO: Sony Interactive Entertainment Inc. adjusted its PlayStation 5 sales target downwards, citing ongoing supply chain disruptions and economic uncertainties. This news comes alongside reports that the company is planning an initial public offering (IPO) for its financial unit in 2025. The revised sales target suggests potential adjustments to Sony's production and distribution strategies in the coming months, while the planned IPO could be a strategic move to raise capital for future endeavors.

Beyond the Headlines:

Nintendo Switch 2 Rumors Gain Momentum: Speculation surrounding the potential launch of a successor to the hugely successful Nintendo Switch console later this year continues to gather steam. Fans eagerly await official announcements from Nintendo regarding the next iteration of the popular platform, with potential implications for the continued success of the Switch franchise and the broader handheld gaming market.

Elden Ring Mobile Version: Speculation Ignites Fan Interest: Rumors of a mobile version of the critically acclaimed game Elden Ring are circulating online, sparking excitement among fans who desire to experience the title on the go. While unconfirmed, the prospect has captivated the gaming community, leading to discussions about the feasibility of adapting the game's complex mechanics to mobile platforms and the potential impact on mobile gaming trends.

"Princess Peach: Showtime" Generates Positive Buzz: The recent Nintendo Direct Partner Showcase unveiled "Princess Peach: Showtime," a new title receiving positive first impressions for its innovative gameplay and engaging story. This upcoming release has garnered significant interest within the gaming community, particularly among fans of the Super Mario franchise, potentially influencing player expectations and pre-order trends.

This Week's Video Game Releases (February 26 - March 2, 2024):

February 28, 2024:

Brothers: A Tale of Two Sons Remake (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PC)

Cook, Serve, Delicious! (Xbox Series X/S, Xbox One)

Star Wars: Dark Forces Remaster (PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X/S, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Switch, PC)

Additional News Stories:

Call of Duty Servers Crash, Player Stats Reset: Adding to the woes of Call of Duty players, server outages caused frustration and confusion due to data resets.

PlayStation VR 2 Expands Horizons with PC Support: In a move that may delight PC VR enthusiasts, Sony announced that PlayStation VR 2 will support PC games sometime in 2024, potentially expanding its player base.

Fortnite Emote Faces Lawsuit: A choreographer filed a lawsuit against Epic Games, claiming their copyrighted dance moves were used in a Fortnite emote without proper permission, raising discussions about intellectual property rights and fair use within the gaming industry.

[floatingcatacombs]

Tech So Bad It Sounds Like The Reviewers Are Just Plain Depressed

12 Days of Aniblogging 2024, Day 8

I really do try to stay away from armchair cultural criticism, especially when it's this far removed from my weaboo wheelhouse, but this one’s been eating away at me for the entire year. What are we doing here?

2024 has been full of downright bad consumer tech! The Apple Vision Pro, the Rabbit and Humane AI pins, the PS5 Pro… those are just the big ones, and that’s not even getting started on vaporware like Horizon Worlds and Microsoft’s Copilot+ PC initiative. Sure, there are Juiceros every year, but this recent batch of flops feels indicative of a larger trend, which is shipping products that are both overengineered and conceptually half-baked. Of course, there’s plenty of decent tech coming out too – Apple’s recent laptops and desktops have been strong and competitively priced, at least the base models. The Steam Deck created a whole new product category that seems to be thriving. And electric cars… exist, which is better than nothing. But it’s been much more fun to read about of the bad stuff, of course. These days it feels like most of the tech reviews I read these days have the journalists asking “what’s the point?” halfway through, or asserting in advance that it will fail, like this useless product with a bad value proposition is prompting an existential crisis for them. Maybe it is!

yeah yeah journalists don't write their own headlines. I can assure you that the article content carries the same tone for these though.

What did a negative tech review look like before the 2020s? Maybe there wasn’t one, really. The 2000s and the 2010s were drenched in techno-optimism. Even if skepticism towards social media emerged over time, hardware itself was generally received well, mixed at worst, because journalists were happy to extrapolate out what a product and its platform could do. Nowadays, everyone takes everything at face value! As they should –the things we buy rarely get meaningfully better over time, and the support window for flops is getting shorter and shorter with each passing year. On the games side of things, look how quickly Concord ended! With that out of the way, I’m going to start zeroing in on the hardware I saw a “why does this exist” type review for this year.

The Apple Vision Pro

People have been burnt time and time again by nearly every VR headset ecosystem to release (other than mayyybe Oculus, but Facebook’s tendrils sinking in don’t feel great either). The PSVR was a mild success at best and the PSVR2 was an expensive and unmitigated disaster that lost support in a matter of months. Meanwhile, the Valve Index couldn’t cut it with its price, and Microsoft actively blew up their own HoloLens infrastructure earlier this year. It’s at this point it's clear that VR is a niche, and one that’s expensive to develop for and profit off of.  Surely Apple will save us!

completely isolate yourself from your family for the low, low price of multiple paychecks

With most of the competition focusing on gaming, Apple attempted a blue ocean strategy with the Vision Pro by instead making their target audience… nobody! It’s hard to tell what anyone was ever supposed to do with these things, and reading long-form reviews, it became very clear that the reviewers were trying to come up with viable use-cases and largely failing, because it’s just not very practical tech. There’s no physical input devices, so you’re instead using mix of hand-tracking, eye-tracking, and voice commands to control the thing. That’s pretty cool, but it means that the one niche that VR has been proven in, gaming, is effectively impossible. Things like office software can also be hard to use without a keyboard and mouse, and even when there’s tailor-made headset applications for existing software, it’s still usually not better than just doing it on your desktop!

The tech is real, and that’s the saddest part. Looking at teardowns, I fully believe that the hardware had to cost multiple thousands of dollars to break even, and as someone who suffers from VR motion sickness, I’d be really curious to see if all the stabilization tech from their extra onboard chips helps with that as much as the press releases claim. It’s like a more drastic version of the iPad problem, where the hardware is amazing on paper, but interfacing limits with the form factor itself combined with a subpar operating system mean that you can’t actually do as much as you’d hope to with all that power.

Of course, the Vision Pro is also full of prototype hacks and hard design problems – that battery pack is a nightmare! If it’s a productivity device, how are you supposed to share content with other people when the headset has to be custom-fit every time and there’s only one profile? Apple still has no good answer. That leaves the only available niche for this device as white-collar productivity done in isolation, and most people fundamentally do not live in that world. It feels lonely and dystopic, even.

If I had to guess what happened, the VR division at Apple was working on this for the better part of a decade, and facing headwinds, Apple decided to cut their losses and force them to deliver a project, doomed as it may be. There’s a potent business fantasy of a bad version 1.0 leading to a successful 2.0 and beyond, but Apple has not pulled of that kind of situation in the twenty-first century. It’s either a success or it is a proven failure, and this is so, so, obviously the latter. I do hope that the stabilization tech makes it into other headsets eventually though, so that I can play Blade and Sorcery at my friend’s house without throwing up. Everyone else, please copy Apple’s homework or steal their patents, preferably to the tune of under $3500.

Rabbit R1 and Humane AI Pins

The current AI paradigm has been around for two years now, and since we've all heard way too many arguments already, I will try to keep my own takes brief. The LLM results we have right now are real (even if everyone is trying to dress them up as superintelligent snake oil when they’re just cool computer synthesis), but from everything I read, it seems like the era of drastic improvement is over. It would take exponentially more text and images and video than we already have to get more linear improvements, and a good chunk of the world has already been scraped, and the lawsuits are already pouring in, further slowing down data ingestion. The tech is slowing down, and the industry won’t be able to grow its way out of the hard social problems it’s invoked. If there are gains to be made, it's in more fine-tuned and curated LLMs, and that's far harder work than most of these companies want to get up to right now.

With that out of the way, are you interested in wearing an LLM on your shirt?

The video that notoriously tanked a company. Of course, now I'm also supposed to make fun of this guy for using b-roll of himself speeding in a school zone . Nobody wins.

Not one, but two separate startups pushed this idea to market this year. Humane’s AI pin launched for seven hundred dollars plus a twenty-five dollars per month subscription, all for the privilege of getting to ask a little square on your chest questions and getting GPT answers spoken back to you. But what about like… ChatGPT’s own phone app? Or hell, even Siri! Apple and Android’s voice assistants are both are over a decade old– do you really have that many ungoogleable queries? And specifically, ones that voice responses make the most sense for, and not text? To make things worse, this thing has serious overheating issues and a battery that can’t even last a day. The Rabbit R1 at least has a cute design, and actually has a screen, and is much cheaper, but it requires a data tether to your phone, so like…why not just use your phone. Reverse-engineering has confirmed that its app can just run on a normal Android phone, so there’s really nothing special other than the little orange square that it’s hosted in.

Why would you even try to roll out a product as doomed as these, instead of just going bankrupt and pocketing a year or two of salary like most startups? The AI boom, of course! After the NFT hype cycle, everyone really did convince themselves that you can just fail upwards with no real limit. Unfortunately, people have higher standards for hardware than PNG transaction platforms, as they get far more upset when they’re left physically holding the bag. I’ve been watching Deep Space 9 recently and have to ask, are these companies trying to capture the fantasy of Star Trek comms badges? Because if so, they should honestly lean more into it. It wouldn't be any more functional of a product, but if there’s one thing nerds always love, it’s themed garbage.

welp

The PS5 Pro

This one just launched a bit ago for the holiday season. It makes some sense on paper – most PS5 games offer a choice between a performance and a fidelity mode, so why not just make a version strong enough that it can get the benefits of both? Great! That’ll be seven hundred dollars.

Okay, $700 doesn’t sound as insane in the context of that Humane pin I was just talking about. But it’s $200 more than the PS5 at launch, and it doesn’t even come with a disc drive unless you want to fork over another $80. The past few generations of gaming have been defined by heavily subsidized console prices with the goal of roping gamers into more lucrative ecosystems, but Sony here seems to be testing the waters for an unsubsidized era.

I've heard the external disc drive install process is surprisingly user-friendly, but at this price point they should have included a little automaton who does it for you

If you can stomach PC gaming, at that price you’re halfway there to buying something that could trounce a PS5 Pro, plus a monitor close enough to your face that you might actually notice the 4K improvements. There are also only a couple of games per year being produced at high enough fidelity for there to be any noticeable quality improvements. The returns are diminishing and the AAA landscape is narrowing, and console upgrades like these only hasten the industry’s spiraling. Is all this sustainable from a development perspective? I don’t know. If Nintendo announced a Mario Odyssey sequel for the Switch 2, I’d buy it at launch regardless of the graphics, and my PS3 can play Demon's Souls and my anime blu-rays just fine. So I’m well aware that I’m not the target audience for stuff like the PS5 Pro, but I think it's going to become harder and harder to compel that audience going forward.

_

The end of the low interest rates in US has drastically changed the underpinnings of its tech industry, and I think every one of these bad product launches can be traced back here one way or another. The era of running flashy ventures at a loss for years in order to corner the market is profoundly over, unless you’ve got Thiel blood money or a GPT transformer, and even then. This, combined with the end of quarantine-era user habits, has left many companies to repeatedly go all in on hype cycles like blockchain and the metaverse and AI, pretending like the last one never happened every time. This trend-chasing means, that depending on each company’s circumstances, they need to either spin something up quick, reroute an existing prototype, or risk delivering laughably late. You need a product and you need it fast. And rushed tech is always going to have load-bearing and stupid problems, no matter how long the initial development time was. Everyone loses, especially the saps who actually believe in the sales pitches enough to buy these things. And those poor, poor tech journalists who have to review it all are being consumed with eldritch madness watching this all unfold. Hey, at least they’re not trying to simp for Microsoft Copilot!

Hopefully, this particular era of tech ends sooner rather than later, so that I don’t feel compelled to do another essay of this type. If I were more of an idealist or a doofus I’d be dreaming of a serious anticonsumerist movement and/or Xi Jinping liberating us all, but unfortunately I’m of the belief that we’re doomed to dumbass gizmos destined for the landfill until the end of the silicon era.

[fishmech]

Steam Hardware Survey: Computer Information:

Manufacturer: Dell Inc. Model: Precision 5680 Form Factor: Laptop No Touch Input Detected

Processor Information:

CPU Vendor: GenuineIntel CPU Brand: 13th Gen Intel(R) Core(TM) i7-13700H CPU Family: 0x6 CPU Model: 0xba CPU Stepping: 0x2 CPU Type: 0x0 Speed: 2918 MHz

20 logical processors 14 physical processors Hyper-threading: Supported FCMOV: Supported SSE2: Supported SSE3: Supported SSSE3: Supported SSE4a: Unsupported SSE41: Supported SSE42: Supported AES: Supported AVX: Supported AVX2: Supported AVX512F: Unsupported AVX512PF: Unsupported AVX512ER: Unsupported AVX512CD: Unsupported AVX512VNNI: Unsupported SHA: Supported CMPXCHG16B: Supported LAHF/SAHF: Supported PrefetchW: Unsupported BMI1: Supported BMI2: Supported F16C: Supported FMA: Supported

Operating System Version:

Windows 11 (64 bit) NTFS: Supported Crypto Provider Codes: Supported 311 0x0 0x0 0x0

Client Information:

Version: 1731433018 Browser GPU Acceleration Status: Enabled Browser Canvas: Enabled Browser Canvas out-of-process rasterization: Enabled Browser Direct Rendering Display Compositor: Disabled Browser Compositing: Enabled Browser Multiple Raster Threads: Enabled Browser OpenGL: Enabled Browser Rasterization: Enabled Browser Raw Draw: Disabled Browser Skia Graphite: Disabled Browser Video Decode: Enabled Browser Video Encode: Enabled Browser Vulkan: Disabled Browser WebGL: Enabled Browser WebGL2: Enabled Browser WebGPU: Enabled Browser WebNN: Disabled

Video Card:

Driver: Intel(R) Iris(R) Xe Graphics DirectX Driver Name: nvldumd.dll Driver Version: 31.0.101.5186 DirectX Driver Version: 32.0.15.6603 Driver Date: 1 18 2024 Desktop Color Depth: 32 bits per pixel Monitor Refresh Rate: 60 Hz DirectX Card: NVIDIA RTX 2000 Ada Generation Laptop GPU VendorID: 0x10de DeviceID: 0x28b8 Revision: 0xa1 Number of Monitors: 1 Number of Logical Video Cards: 2 No SLI or Crossfire Detected Primary Display Resolution: 3840 x 2400 Desktop Resolution: 3840 x 2400 Primary Display Size: 13.54" x 8.46" (15.94" diag), 34.4cm x 21.5cm (40.5cm diag) Primary Bus: PCI Express 8x Primary VRAM: 8192 MB Supported MSAA Modes: 2x 4x 8x

Sound card: Audio device: Speakers (Intel® Smart Sound Te

Memory: RAM: 15959 Mb

VR Hardware: VR Headset: None detected

Miscellaneous:

UI Language: English Media Type: Undetermined Total Hard Disk Space Available: 7616900 MB Largest Free Hard Disk Block: 988009 MB OS Install Date: Apr 21 2024 Game Controller: None detected MAC Address hash: 62e0fc470c01efb

Storage:

Disk serial number hash: 1ec11c53 Number of SSDs: 2 SSD sizes: 4000G,4000G Number of HDDs: 0 Number of removable drives: 0

[lookineedsleep]

coming back into your inbox again bc. ik you said you were going to buy not for broadcast for the vr. but it turns out that a) the vr port of not for broadcast is made by a third party and has a lot of bugs that aren't ever gonna be fixed b) it has none of the dlc content and the dlcs are really fun and i recommend them so if you were to like the game and wanted to play the dlc you'd have to buy it somewhere else

i remembered this previous conversation bc its 6 dolars on steam rn until the 4th of november.... the game is massive. so it would have to be downloaded on either a huge computer or a hard drive. but its worth it i prommy. especially for 6 dollar.

THANK YOU SMMMMM oh my god noted I think I've got a good usb somewhere which I was gonna use for my art portfolio but that fell through WAUGH !! Anyways yippee!! Im so bad at pc games but this doesn't seem (?) to use typical controls so WE WILL SEE !!!!!!

[irbcallmefynn]

nothing like spending all of the money you have on steam on a replacement controller for your vr headset because the stick is busted!

yeah I've been wanting to play more vr for a long time but I've never wanted to deal with the stick drift and stick... twist? idk what you'd call it but the stick on the left controller of my index twists which is not correct. the replacement left controllers only got back in stock recently so i seized the opportunity and now ill be able to do vr again in like 3-5 days i think maybe.

yaaaayyyyy :333

[mx-pokirby]

Today's accomplishments

Sent a difficult message

Did our laundry

Dropped an anime that seemed good, but just not for us (SK8 the Infinity. Mainly checked it out for the androgynous cat-twink. Others should still try it)

Factory Reset our Oculus/Meta Quest 1 to gift to a friend

Gifted said VR headset to said friend

Beat an IWBTG fangame: I Wanna Be The Octophobia. Easy beginner fangame. (Would've have an easier time if Steam ever f*king worked with its controller-steam-input-gamepad-whatever mapping but nooooooo 🙄 Now we remember why we took a break from playing iwbtg fangames; troubleshooting that exact problem (plz help))

Also played The Coffin of Andrew and Renee mod :) very fun twist on the base game. With a lil bit of research, seems that people are being pretty harsh on it, but we're just happy to see a fan-work like it at all. Hope they make a Ch 2 regardless of pushback. Idk maybe we're more tolerant towards fanfiction that doesn't 100% respect canon. Or maybe anything TCOAAL related is cursed. It's just for fun.

[satoshi-mochida]

Clay-based dark fantasy adventure game The Midnight Walk announced for PS5, PS VR2, PC, and SteamVR - Gematsu

Publisher Fast Travel Games and developer MoonHood, a studio founded by former Lost in Random and Fe developers, have announced The Midnight Walk, a dark fantasy first-person adventure game built entirely in clay. It will launch for PlayStation 5 with PlayStation VR 2 support, as well as for PC via Steam with virtual reality headset support in 2025.

Here is an overview of the game, via Fast Travel Games:

About

Embark upon The Midnight Walk in this reverent dark fantasy adventure built in clay, from the minds behind Lost in Random, Fe and Ghost Giant. Become The Burnt One, befriend a lost lantern creature named Potboy, and use his flame to light your way through a conflicting world of wonder and horror. Survive and outsmart the many monsters eager to devour your little friend’s flame as you experience five tales of fire and darkness, featuring an incredible cast of odd characters. Marvel at every disturbing detail in a landscape painstakingly handcrafted with real life clay and animated in a stop motion style. Fully playable both on PlayStation 5 and in virtual reality with PlayStation VR2.

Key Features

An Unforgettable Journey of Light and Dark – Journey with Potboy along the twisted trail of The Midnight Walk. Work with your companion to outsmart fire-eating monsters, using his flame to distract while you hide from and evade the many threats of The Dark Itself. Encounter new friends and experience awe-inspiring sights as you navigate a path fraught with both peril and affirmation.

A Grim and Beautiful Handcrafted World – Everything you see in The Midnight Walk, from the drooling snarl of monsters to the bristling tree tops that line the journey was first sculpted in clay and then 3D scanned to a meticulous level of detail. The result is a uniquely layered fantasy world with an artistic imprint, all realized in breathtaking stop motion.

Immerse Yourself on PlayStation 5 or PlayStation VR2 – The entirety of The Midnight Walk can be experienced either on a screen or in virtual reality with PlayStation VR2. Use the DualSense controller as your portal into the unknown, or grab the Sense controllers and step into the endless night in virtual reality. In the headset, use eye-tracking to enhance the experience by closing your eyes to focus on sounds and manipulate the world around you. Strange as it sounds, try it for yourself!

Watch the announcement trailer below. View the first screenshots at the gallery.

Announce Trailer

[bi-badass-geek]

Summer Games Fest 2024

Holy fuck if that shit wasn't putting me to sleep and it wasn't even because it started at 11pm over here. No offence to those devs and all but most of the stuff was Boring with capital b. Audience either didn't care bout most things showcased or was just asleep too cause that was just sad. My 5 cents that no one asked about since i fell asleep right after + gonna link trailers from IGN.

📣 First they pulled presentation of top 10 Steam sales january-may Palworld, Helldivers 2, Manor Lords, Enshrouded, Hades 2, Dragon's Dogma 2, Balotro, Deep Rock Galactic Survivor, Supermarket Simulator, Buckshot Roulette. I can see most but some i didn't even heard.

📣 Lego Horizon Adventures : Coming holiday 2024, nothing else to say another day another lego game soon we will see any universe with those.

📣 No one Room in Hell 2, Early Access Halloween 2024

📣 Harry Potter Quidditch Champions another game September 3rd.

📣 Star Wars Outlaws coming out August 30. Saying everyone waiting out for it this year is mad!

📣 Battle Aces that's RTS but 99.99% trailer had Tracer like is outta pocket!

📣 Cairn climbing simulator, face texture horrible, studio name 'the game bakers' tho cooks.

📣 Killer Bean EA summer 2024.

📣 Valorant coming to console.

📣 Palworld Sakurajima Update : New Island, New Raid, Arena, Xbox dedicated Servers, 27 June, Stronghold Oil-Rig, New Faction and boss, New Pals, New Buildings and Level Cap, New Subspecies.

📣 Skate console playtesting coming this fall great trailer especially 'STILL' working on it!

📣 Deer & Boy crazy name.

📣 Dune Awakening well it's MMO yikes.

📣 Wandershop fans of gardening, farming will enjoy for sure with a twist. Coming in 2024!

📣 Phantom Blade 0 i can't look at it the same way after i read Japanese Geralt or its Sekiro 2/Nioh 3 lol ,to experience on hand : 8-10 June Summer Game Fest, 26-29 July ChinaJoy, 21-25 August, September 28-29 Tokyo Game Show.

📣 Hyper Light Breaker comes out Late Summer typical Hyper's stuff!

📣 Monster Hunter Wilds

📣 Honkai Star Rail i seriously have no idea what it's about since i don't play but something new i guess?

📣 Alan Wake 2 Night Springs out now, 3 playable characters : Control, Quantum Break. Gotta say wild that they showed it in less than 24h hours before it was out love that and cool that they added other games! 3 episodes!

📣 Kingdom Come Deliverance 2 looks like more good ol' shenanigans that people are stocked for! Kiss Our Asses what's more to say! Coming 2024!

📣 The First Descendant out July 2nd, heard it's good, looks typical stuff. Melee character lookin dope!

📣 Enotria The Last Song : Spanish Souls what can i say! Demo out now! September 19th!

📣Dark and Darker back on Steam and Epic Store for free now!

📣Blumhouse Games : Project C, The Simulation, Fear The Spotlight, Sleep Awake, Crisol Theater Of Idols. Nothing got me more confused in entire livestream than this segment that was just dumped bucket of trash no offence.

📣Sid Meier's Civilization VII : coming 2025 not my vibe but didn't saw fans complaining!

📣Neva comes out 2024 from creators of GRIS.

📣Back Myth Wukong coming out August 20th. That's quick been a while since we last heard.

📣Once Human : Comes out July 9th. Around the corner not going to lie i forgot about this game till i saw it!

📣Asgard's Wrath Available Now

📣Warhammer 40,000 Space Marine 2 September 9th. Another Warhammer.

📣 Metaphor ReFantazio October 11th lovers of Persona got somethin to consume!

📣 Batman Shadow VR game Fall 2024. It's VR game that's all you need to know.

📣 Tears of Metal

📣 DragonBall Sparking! Zero October 11th. KAMEHAMEHAAA!

📣 Delta Force Hawk OPS Global PC Alpha Test in July.

📣 Battle Crush June 27th Moba Mobile nothin else needs to be said.

📣 Mecha Break Closed Beta Test in August such Gundam vibes when i saw trailer but funny how people called it Anthem 2 lol.

📣Slitterhead combat looks chunky November 8th it's out.

📣Unknown 9 : Awakening. Coming Fall 2024 got actress that plays Yennefer in Witcher show. People called it Forspoken 2 lmao.

📣Monster Hunter Stories &2 : Coming June 14th.

Sales : Monster Hunter Rise Up 75% OFF, Monster Hunter World 67%, Resident Evil 4 25%, Street Fighter 50%.

Among Us folks made OutterSloth that supports devs + fuckin tv show is supposed to come out think years too late but oh well.

📣 Sonic x Shadow Generations October 25th nostalgia hittin hard for some individuals.

📣 The Finals new Arena, New Ranked Mode, New Weapons and Gadgets, Weekly Tournaments.

📣 New World Aeternum October 15th consoles. Last i saw game was dead on dead.

📣 Kunitsu-Gami Path of the Goddess half of the graphics to gameplay confused my brain.

📣 Party Animal didn't catch what was that about.

Inside Out 2 Yong Yea voicing is cool!

📣 Squad Busters : Mobile that fuckin trailer killed it omfg! Way too OP for mobile!

[usagirotten]

‘Alien: Rogue Incursion’ VR Game Launches 19 December

Fans of the Alien franchise have a new reason to be excited as the highly anticipated VR game, Alien: Rogue Incursion, is set to launch on December 19, 2024. Developed by Survios and published by 20th Century Games, this single-player action-horror game promises to deliver an immersive experience like no other. Alien: Rogue Incursion will be available on PlayStation VR2, PCVR via Steam, and Meta Quest 3. Players will step into the shoes of Zula Hendricks, an unbreakable ex-Colonial Marine, on a dangerous mission to the uncharted planet Purdan. Accompanied by her sentient AI companion, Davis-01, Zula must navigate the infested Gemini Exoplanet Solutions black-site facility, facing off against the most cunning Xenomorphs ever encountered12.  The game features iconic weapons and gear from the Alien universe, including the Pulse Rifle and Motion Tracker. Players will need to use their wits and reflexes to survive the dynamic and reactive combat system, where Xenomorphs spawn based on player actions23. Alien: Rogue Incursion offers several exciting features that make it a standout VR game: - Immersive VR Experience: Designed specifically for VR, the game plunges players into the terrifying world of Alien, with detailed audio, visuals, lighting, and haptic feedback12. - Dynamic Combat System: Xenomorphs spawn based on player actions, making each encounter unique and unpredictable. The AI-driven enemies use the environment to their advantage, creating a challenging and immersive combat experience2. - Iconic Weapons and Gear: Players can use classic Alien universe weapons like the Pulse Rifle and Motion Tracker. The game also includes other gear to help players survive the hostile environment12. - Original Storyline: The game features an original story where players control Zula Hendricks, an ex-Colonial Marine, on a mission to the uncharted planet Purdan. Accompanied by her AI companion, Davis-01, Zula must navigate and survive the infested Gemini Exoplanet Solutions black-site facility12. - Pre-Order Bonuses: Players who pre-order the game will receive exclusive cosmetic skins inspired by the upcoming film Alien: Romulus. The Deluxe Edition includes additional content like Blue Camo Armor and Weapon Skins2. Pre-orders for Alien: Rogue Incursion are now open on all platforms. Those who pre-order will receive exclusive cosmetic skins inspired by the upcoming film Alien: Romulus3. The standard edition is priced at $39.99, while the Deluxe Edition, which includes additional content, is available for $49.993. Stay tuned for more updates and prepare to immerse yourself in the terrifying world of Alien: Rogue Incursion this December.  

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